Firebox superheater



Malfch 3, 1936. BLQME 2,932,396

FIREBOX SUPERHEATER Filed May 9, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR fll/qusr ,5, 51 0075.

ATTORNEY March 3, 1936. A. B. BLOME I FIREBOX SUPERHEATER Filed May 9, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 R O T N E V m ,404057 23. Bw/ws. BY W ATTORNEY- March 3, 1936. I B, BLOME 2,032,396

FI-REBOX' SUPERHEATER Filed May 9, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 N W mum F' INVENTOR fluqujr 5. BMME ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FIREBOX SUPERHE'A-TER August B. 'Blo'me, Mount Vernon, N. Y., assignor to The Superheater Company, New York,

Application May 9, 1935,v Serials-No; 20,594

4' Claims.

invention relates to superheaters and particularly to superheaters adapted to be installed in thefire boxes of locomotive type boilers.

Although, the-advantages of economy of space and material possessed byradiant type superheaters have long-been recognized and it has heretofore-beenvproposed to locate such a superheater in the: combustion space of a locomotive type boiler, numerous 'difiiculties and disadvantages have been encuntered in making such installationswas heretofore proposed. For example," where thesuperheater has been mounted in .the-verticallywcentral portion of the combustion chamber the :path .of the gases from the grate to the fiuesl'ha-s been unduly obstructed and the elements as thus installed have been found incapable of withstandingthe high temperatures in "the combustion chamber unless special protectivecdevices are utilized. However, the provision of such=protectingdevices has per se resulted'in. materially reducing the efficiency of a radiant typesuperheater contrary to the desire and intention to utilize its advantages. Similar disadvantages havetbeen met in mounting the superheater elements on or along the bottom part of thecombustion-chamber; It is the object of the present invention to provide a superheater having radiant type characteristics and adapted to beinstalled in thei'combustion space of a locomotive type boiler.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a locomotive type boiler embodying a radiant type superheater in its combustion space in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view along the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal and transverse sectional views, respectively, similar to Figures 1 and 2 but illustrating another form of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view illustrating a detail of construction.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral l0 designates the locomotive fire-box and combustion chamber formed by the back sheet I I, side sheets l2, crown sheet l3, throat sheet I4, and flue sheet I5 from which the fiues l6 extend forwardly to the smoke box. The bottom of the fire-box is occupied by a grate and the fire-box is enclosed by the boiler sheet H, the arrangement providing the usual water walls closed by a mud ring l8. Water circulating tubes 20 extend upwardly and rearwardly above the grate from the front water leg 2| to the rear water leg 22 and support refractory bricks 23 to form the usual bafllingaa-rchthatdeflects the: fire box gases and causesxthem to distribute their heat to the whole interiorLof .the fire box and combustion chamber and retains them therein long enough to permit complete: combustion to: take place.

Inrcarrying out .the present invention the flue sheet ['5' is positioned sufiiciently-forwardly of the arch- 2&,=:23 and throatsheet [4 to provide a combustionhchamberi large enough to receive a plurality of. :tubular superheater elements 25. As shown. in Figured, thecele'ments. 25 have their intermediate portions 26 disposed to extend transverselyof thelcombustionchamber and shaped to conform with .i-nnerperiphery. These parts of the elements.v are: spaced longitudinally of the combustion chamber at distances approximately the same as the spacingof the stay bolts 21 so that the latter are; not covered and may readily be inspected; The end portions of the elements 25 extendrearwardly at'an angle to their bowed, intermediate portionsxZfi and longitudinally of the combustion. chamber in contact with the. bottom and/or .sidewallszthereof to beyond the throat sheet M1 where they are bent downwardly for connection: of. their opposite ends 28, 29 to the inlet-and outlet headers: of the superheater.

As illustratedzherein thesuperheater headers comprise a drum 30 extending transverselyof the fire-box beneath the forward part of the arch 20, 23 adjacent throat sheet l4 and divided by a transverse partition 3| to form the inlet and outlet headers 32, 33 respectively to which the opposite ends 28, 29 of each element are connected. A wall 34 of suitable material extending transversely of the fire-box beneath the arch 20, 23 together with the portion of the latter that overlies the drum 30 protects the headers 32, 33 from the high temperatures in the fire box.

Inasmuch as the intermediate portions 26 of the elements 25 are bowed their natural resiliency causes them to spring outwardly and firmly contact with the interior surface of the extended portion of the fire box. As shown in Figure 5 the elements 25 are held against distortion by clamp plates 36 secured to the stay bolts 21 and each engaging adjacent parts of a pair of elements.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the individual superheater elements 40 are similarly disposed in the combustion chamber and also have their intermediate portions 4| shaped to contact its inner periphery. Each element extends to approximately the center of the top of the combustion chamber, being bent back upon itself at its mid point with its opposite ends 42, 43 disposed at the same side of the firebox and connected into inlet and outlet headers 44, 45 respectively. These headers are formed by a wall 46 extending longitudinally of the drum 41 rather than transversely thereof as in Figures 1 and 2, wherein such a longitudinally divided header might be utilized if desired. Several clamp plates 36 are employed in conjunction with each pair of adjacent elements to prevent their distortion.

In both arrangements described above the heat absorbing elements 25 or 40 extend about the entire top portion of the combustion chamber (except for the slight gap between the mid points of the elements 40 in Figures 3 and. 4) and over varying portions, depending upon the particular element, of the side and. bottom walls of the combustion chamber. Thus, the combustion chamber, forwardly of the arch 20, 23, is substantially completely lined by the heat absorbing elements 25, 40 which being exposed to the radiant heat of the gases efilciently utilize their high temperatures to produce a high degree of superheat. At the same time the elements 25, 40 are efliciently protected against overheating because throughout substantially their entire length they are in contact with the water cooled walls that bound the combustion chamber. Moreover, inasmuch as the superheater elements 25 or 40 as arranged in accordance with the invention are disposed about and in contact with the inner surfaces of the top, side and bottom walls of the combustion chamber they occupy space only at the sides of the chamber and do not materially obstruct the flow of the gases passing to and through the flues l6 because a clear passage is retained to the flues from the fire-box despite installation of the superheater in the latter.

All the elements 25 or 40 are conveniently accessible and may easily be disconnected from the headers .and sprung away from contact with the surfaces of the combustion chamber so that they are readily removable for effecting repairs or replacements; the elements 40 because of their more compact form being adapted to be removed through the opening 50 in the back sheet I I, while the elements 25 may be more easily removed through the bottom of the fire-box.

What I claim is:

1. In a locomotive type boiler having a watercooled combustion chamber adjoining the firebox; a superheater comprising a plurality of tubular heat absorbing elements in said chamber with their end portions extending longitudinally of the bottom and side parts of the inner wall of said chamber in contact therewith and intermediate portions extending transversely of said chamber and contacting the side and top portions of the inner wall thereof; and headers located forwardly of the grate of the firebox to which the ends of said elements are connected.

2. In a locomotive type boiler having a watercooled combustion chamber adjoining the fire box; a superheater comprising a plurality of heat absorbing elements substantially completely lining the inner wall surfaces of said chamber, and having intermediate portions shaped to conform to the contour of said wall and held in contact with the latter by the resiliency of the elements; and headers to which the ends of said elements are connected.

3. In a locomotive type boiler having a watercooled combustion chamber adjoining the fire box; a superheater comprising a plurality of tubular heat absorbing elements in said chamber with their end portions extending longitudinally of the bottom and side parts of the inner wall of said chamber in contact therewith and intermediate portions disposed transverely of said chamber and extending from opposite sides of said chamber adjacent the bottom thereof around the side and. top parts of its inner wall in contact therewith; and headers located forwardly of the grate of the firebox into which the ends of said elements are connected.

4. In a locomotive type boiler'having a watercooled combustion chamber adjoining the fire box; a superheater comprising headers located forwardly of the grate in the fire-box, and a plurality of tubular heat absorbing elements in said chamber each having its opposite ends connected to said headers at one side of said chamber and an intermediate portion bent back upon itself and disposed transversely of said chamber in contact with the side and top inner wall surfaces of said chamber.

AUGUST B. BLOME. 

